


Warm Water

by Roswyn



Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast - All Media Types
Genre: Beauty and the Beast, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Curse Breaking, Curses, F/F, Fairy Tale Curses, Girls Kissing, How Do I Tag, Lesbians, Magic, Medusa - Freeform, Monsters, The beast is basically Medusa, This fic is so weird, Useless Lesbians, beauty and the beast but make it lesbian, girls being gay, lesbian beauty and the beast, monster love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:06:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24993568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roswyn/pseuds/Roswyn
Summary: Belle is said to be the most beautiful woman in her small fishing village—if only a bit strange. And in the castle overlooking her town, there is said to be a hideous, man-eating beast.When Belle’s friend sets off in the direction of the castle and does not return, Belle goes after him, only to find herself the prisoner of a monster.But as the two become closer, Belle begins to learn more about her captor, stripping away her cold, beastly exterior to reveal a damaged woman. A love begins to blossom, but will it be enough to break a twisted curse before time runs out?(It's basically Disney's Beauty and the Beast but with added lesbians. Title from the song of the same name by Banks)
Relationships: Beast/Beauty (Beauty and the Beast), Belle (Disney) & Original Female Character(s), Belle/Original Female Character, beauty/original female character
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So there's a thousand Beauty and the Beast rewrites in the world, but I've never seen one with lesbians so I decided to create one.  
> The plot will be similar to Disney's version, but with some changes to the backstory. Also the setting and the monster are a little different, cause I wanted to give it my own twist. 
> 
> Hope you enjoy, please leave me a comment they mean the world and give me the motivation to keep writing!

Mireya started awake, the snakes that clung to her head like a mane hissing and writhing. Something was amiss. She could feel it within her, every scale on her cursed, misshapen body standing on end.   
She sat up in bed, and a drop of blood appeared on the sweaty sheets she was wrapped in. She lifted a hand to her face, and pulled it away blue and wet. Her nose was bleeding, she could feel it trickling down the back of her throat. A powerful rage was swirling in her veins.  
Mireya leapt out of bed and bounded down the hall on all fours, heading for the stairs. Something had been stolen. And someone was going to pay.   
She found it in the garden; one of her roses had been plucked from its stem, leaving bare thorns and dripping blood. Mireya ran a finger over the broken stalk with a shiver, and then her cold gaze searched the rest of the garden, trying to make out the intruder.   
She spotted them quickly--the moonlight was as bright as sunshine to her eyes. They were running for the gates. Mireya tackled them from behind and rolled them over, leaning on their chest and pinning them to the gravel path.   
It was a young man, his handsome face a mask of terror. “Please,” he managed, in a hoarse whisper. “Don’t kill me.”   
“I’ll do worse than kill you, thief,” Mireya growled, clasping a taloned hand around his throat. The snakes around her head bared their teeth, snapping at him.  
“I’m not a thief, I just…” The man glanced down at the iridescent blue rose clutched in his hands. “I only wished to find a token of my affection, for a maiden of the village…” His voice trembled, his eyes fixed on the rose to avoid looking at Mireya’s horrifying visage. “I meant no harm.”   
Mireya had heard such excuses before. “Is that so? I still hold you responsible for your actions.” She rose, dragging the unfortunate man to his feet by the back of his collar.   
His eyes met hers for an instant; he shuddered and looked away.   
Mireya dragged him inside and down to the dungeons, throwing him in a cell and locking it with one of the many keys hanging from the chain around her waist. “You will remain here until I decide you have paid your debt, thief. Perhaps this will teach you not to trespass on other’s land, and take that which is not yours.”   
“It was only a rose,” the man whispered, his eyes fixed on his feet, his back pressed against the wall, as far away from her as he could get.   
“I know your kind.” Mireya scoffed softly. “You assume you have a claim to anything you want. You believe you can find a lady, deflower her--” she eyed the rose still clutched in the thief’s hands-- “And move on to the next.”   
The man lifted his chin at her accusations. “I may have loved many women, but they’ve all been willing. And I thought surely you would not miss something so small--”   
Mireya snarled at him, and he pressed himself further into the corner of the cell.   
“You thought the legends of my existence were a lie.” Mireya’s voice was low and cold. “You thought you would come to an abandoned castle and pluck a flower, you thought you would return it to your lady love and she would reward you with a roll in the sheets.” She stepped closer to the bars, clasped her webbed fingers around them, and gave the man a cruel smile full of sharp teeth. “You thought wrong.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Belle started awake, a pounding in her head and nasty taste in the back of her mouth. She rose from her bed, and wet her face in the basin beside it, pressing a hand to her sweaty forehead. 

It had been seven days since she’d told Leon to retrieve her a rose, and he’d been gone ever since. She was beginning to worry something had happened to him. 

Leon was widely regarded as the most handsome man in their tiny fishing town, and Belle as the most beautiful woman. From a young age, most had assumed they would marry. Belle did not know how to tell the sailor that she had no feelings for him. In fact, she had no romantic feelings for any man. There were a few girls in the village who had caught her eye, but acting on such feelings would surely never lead to anything good--people already thought her strange, and Belle had no desire to give the gossips something worse to say. 

So when Leon had come to her house a week ago and boldly asked what she required as a betrothal gift, she’d chosen something she thought impossible--a blue rose, from the garden of the Beast. 

It was a well-known legend in the area that the castle atop the cliffs was ruled by a hideous monster, one who ate men alive. Belle had assumed Leon would never have the guts to even attempt her request. She’d thought herself clever--her task seemed simple on the surface, but was truly impossible. 

But now Leon was missing, and Belle couldn’t help but feel responsible. Leon was arrogant, and a bit of a rogue, but they’d known each other since they were children, and Belle knew he wasn’t a bad person. 

Belle threw herself back down atop her quilt and ran a hand through her brown locks, clenching it into a fist, trying to relieve her headache. She’d been plagued with nightmares ever since Leon had left--dreams of him being devoured by all variety of horrifying creatures. Even if she managed to sleep, Belle knew it would only be full of visions of Leon’s death at the hands of a beast--a beast with glowing red eyes and snakes for hair, or at least, that was how people described it. No one truly knew the appearance of the creature that supposedly dwelt in the castle on the cliff. 

Eventually, Belle rose, and began to dress, having made up her mind. There was no way to relieve her worry but to go after Leon. She packed a bag, grabbed their shotgun off the wall, and penned a quick note for her father, saying she’d gone to a nearby town to do some shopping. She didn’t want to worry him, when he woke up in the morning and found her gone. 

Lifting the door slightly so it didn’t creak, she slipped out into the night and down towards the docks. 

Their row boat was tied at the end, and she stepped into it carefully, laying her belongings down and picking up the oars. She looked to the other shore, where the Beast’s castle loomed from atop the cliffs. She’d grown up staring at its spiky silhouette, but she’d never dreamed of going in its direction, too afraid of the rumors that surrounded it. 

But tonight, that’s exactly where she was headed. 

Belle tied her boat on the opposite shore of the small coastal inlet, beside another. _Is the other boat Leon's?_ she wondered. She could see a thin, winding staircase cut into the stone of the cliffs. Belle stepped out of the boat gingerly, grabbed her bags and her shotgun, and began to climb the slippery stairs. There were dead, thorny branches clinging to the side of the cliff and to the cracks in the steps, but that seemed to be the only sign of life. As she left the sounds of the surf behind, Belle looked back. She was frighteningly high now, and she could see her tiny boat bobbing on the water. 

Belle crept up further, until she finally found herself at the top of the steps, in front of a tall, wrought iron gate. It was broken, and overgrown with thorny roses of a strange blue color, seeming to glow with their own light. Belle stared up at the castle. All she could make out was dark stone and dying vines in the moonlight. 

Belle pulled the shotgun off her shoulder and loaded it, holding the cold metal of the barrel in her clammy hands. The castle was eerily silent, as if she were the only living thing reckless enough to venture so close. Belle shivered in the cold, still air, trying to gather the courage she’d had, standing in her room at home. She had to do this, she reminded herself. If Leon really were missing, it was her fault.

She slipped through the gap in the gate, tugging on her dress where it was caught. She gripped the shotgun tighter and made her way down the gravel path. 

“Leon?” she whispered. She ought to shout for him, she supposed, but breaking the silence made her feel uneasy. Now that she was here, the legends about the existence of a vicious monster didn’t sound so far-fetched as they did when she was sitting in a warm tavern, sipping ale while the sailors went on about how they’d spotted the Beast. 

Belle stepped further down the path, wincing every time her feet crunched in the gravel. She finally reached the doors, and considered knocking.  _ That’s ridiculous, _ she reminded herself. The place looked completely abandoned. She reached out with shaky fingers and turned the handle. The doors were locked.

Belle stepped back and stared up at the castle again, the black slits of its windows seeming to stare straight back at her. Belle shook herself, and walked around the outside until she found the doors to a cellar. They were overgrown with rose bushes; she had to shove them out of the way in order to get inside. Blue petals fell around her feet, along with drops of red blood. She’d cut herself, on one of the thorns. Belle stuck her finger in her mouth and tugged the doors open. 

Holding the gun out in front of her, Belle made her way down the cellar steps. 

The cellar was dark, very dark, and Belle cursed herself for not thinking of a lantern. She squinted into the shadows, trying to make out shapes. As her eyes adjusted, she noted the cellar was full and remarkably clean. She could also make out a door, and she began to head for it, only to trip over a barrel and land flat on her face. Belle swore, and pushed herself off the ground, checking her shotgun one more time. Smoothing her hair and straightening her shoulders, Belle pulled the door open and stepped through, finding herself in a chilly, stone hallway. 

“Leon?” she whispered, again. She’d made a tremendous racket--if anyone--or any _ thing _ \--did live in this castle, they’d certainly heard her by now. She might as well shout, she figured, and gathering her courage, she did. “Leon?” 

After a few moments, she heard an answer. 

“Belle!” It was Leon’s voice. 

Belle followed it at a run, down the hallway and towards another flight of stairs. Pushing open a heavy wooden door, Belle stepped into what appeared to be a dungeon. The hallway was dim, but further along there was a light from a single torch. 

“Belle! Belle, run.” It was Leon. “Run, and don’t look back.” 

“Leon...what? Why?” Belle hurried to the cell Leon was standing in, his hands gripping the bars. Belle wrapped her fingers over his, holding on tight. 

Leon shook his head, his face pale in the torchlight. “The stories, the ones of the monster--they’re all true. There’s this...this  _ thing  _ here, it attacked me and threw me in a cell.” 

“What? Are you alright?” Belle asked breathlessly. 

“I’m fine, just  _ go, _ before it comes back.” 

Belle lifted her chin. “I’m not leaving you here.” 

Leon didn’t respond, his face became even paler, bloodless, his eyes wide. 

Instinctively, Belle turned around. Standing behind her, at the edge of the torch’s circle of light, was the Beast. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if I'm going to continue this, I don't even know if anyone's interested in reading it, I'm sort of posting this as an experiment, so if you like what you see please tell me. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to SakuraIce22 for leaving a comment telling me they were interested! I appreciate it. Hope you enjoy this chapter, sorry it took me awhile to post!

Belle stared at the legendary Beast, her heart pounding in her chest. She could hear the hiss and slither of snakes that seemed to grow in the place of hair from the creature’s head. The thing’s skin was spotted with scales, its skin glowing a silvery blue, its arms strangely long for its body. The face was shadowed, but then it stepped forward. 

Belle stepped away, her back hitting the bars. She could make out the creature’s face, now. It was a woman, Belle realized with a start. She had an unearthly beauty, a thin, sharp nose, bright blue eyes, and wicked smile full of sharp teeth. Silvery blue scales gilded her throat; gills cut into the sides of her neck. She was eyeing the gun in Belle’s trembling hands. 

Belle raised the barrel of the rifle, and cocked it with an echoing snap. “Stay back.” 

“This is my land. I think I’ll go where I please.” The woman approached even closer, the snakes around her head hissing and extending their bodies to snap in Belle’s direction. 

“Shoot it, Belle!” Leon’s voice was a harsh, strained whisper.

Belle’s finger shivered on the trigger. The woman was strange, surely, but there was a beauty to her, as well, a fluidity to her movement, an alluring glitter in her scales and eyes. Belle couldn't bring herself to harm her. 

The woman laughed, harsh as waves hitting the rocks. “You can try. But I’ll have you know, it won’t stop me.” 

“I don’t want any trouble,” Belle said softly, her voice only quivering a little. “I’ve only come to rescue my friend.” 

“Your friend?” The woman raised a thin, sculpted brow. “That may be news to him. He came here, you see, to collect a token of his affection...for you, I presume.” 

Belle swallowed, hard, guilt clenching at her heart. Her eyes flashed to Leon’s face. “I’m sorry, Leon. I should have told you how I feel. This is all my fault.” 

Leon’s brow furrowed, his eyes pained. He looked away.

The monstrous woman stepped even closer to Belle. Belle’s fingers clutched the cold metal and rough wood of the gun tighter. The woman had said being shot wouldn’t stop her, and Belle didn’t doubt it, considering the confidence with which she held herself. And despite her beastly appearance, the woman was undeniably a person. Shooting her felt less like saving Leon from a dangerous beast and more like breaking into a woman’s home and murdering her. 

“Don’t touch her,” Leon said, raising his voice. 

The woman looked between the two of them, a jaded smile spreading across her face.

Belle shivered. “Just let us go. We’ll never come back, I promise.”

“I’m afraid I don’t take kindly to trespassers. Or thieves.” 

“What did you take?” Belle whispered to Leon. 

“Only a goddamn rose,” Leon said, directing his words at their captor.

The woman’s mouth twisted bitterly. “It was not yours to take.” She ran a finger over the silver scales on her throat. “You do not understand the price of what you took, believe me.” 

“Hasn’t he repaid his debt by now?” Belle asked. “How long do you intend to keep him here?” 

“As long as I wish. I am still the Lady of this land. Though I may have retreated into the shadows, my word is still law.” She considered for a long moment, looking Belle up and down, utterly ignoring the gun still clutched in Belle’s fingers. “You, however, are free to go. Consider it mercy.” 

This creature, whatever she was, was allowing Belle to leave. She should flee while she had the chance. Every bone in her body wanted to, wanted to turn on her heels and leave this place behind her. But her guilt was still tugging on her heartstrings. 

“Run, Belle. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” It was Leon. 

Belle turned to look at her oldest friend, staring into his earnest eyes. “I can’t just leave you here. This is my fault.” 

“It’s not your fault. I chose to come.” 

“Because you love me?” Belle’s voice cracked on the words. 

Leon swallowed. “Yes. I do.” 

Belle felt tears prickling at the back of her eyes. She would never feel the same about Leon, he was like a brother to her. There was no way out of this but to break his heart. 

“I do love you, Leon. But not like that. I’m sorry.” 

Leon’s eyes were full of pain as he stared back at her. His lips parted, but he didn’t speak, not for a long, miserable moment. Finally, he shut his eyes. “I’m such a fool,” he said softly. 

“You’re not. I should have told you how I felt, I’m so sorry.” Belle pried her gaze away and back to the Beast, summoning her courage. The woman’s terrifying appearance wasn’t nearly as bad as seeing the heartbreak on Leon’s face. 

“I asked for the rose.” Belle swallowed. “This is all my fault. Take me as your prisoner. Let him go.” The woman was right, after all, Leon _had_ trespassed on her land, and he _had_ stolen from her, however small his theft. And he’d only done so because Belle asked it of him. 

“Belle, _don’t,_ ” Leon whispered behind her. 

The woman inclined her head to the side, studying Belle. The snakes on her head twisted, coiling about each other. “You wish to trade places with him?” The woman reached out, and lifted Belle’s chin with the tips of her fingers. Her touch was cold as winter rain. 

Belle forced herself to hold the woman’s stare. “If there’s a debt to be paid, it ought to be me who pays it.” 

“Please, Belle, don’t do this.” 

Belle ignored Leon’s fervent pleas from behind her. None of this mess would have happened if she’d been up front with him from the beginning, and he was still her oldest friend. Leon had always stood up for her, when people in the village called her strange for keeping to herself, her only companions the books she read. Leon had always been there, and she couldn’t leave him in the clutches of a monster. 

“You would willingly become my prisoner? Do I not scare you?” The woman’s voice was cold, and intimately threatening, like a knife pressed against Belle’s throat. 

Belle felt herself trembling, staring at that face, at the snakes coiled around it, at the mouth full of sharp teeth, the vertical, inhuman pupils in the woman’s deep blue eyes.

“You do scare me,” Belle said, her voice scarcely a whisper. “But I have to do what I feel is right.” 

The woman’s features had turned bitter again. She released Belle’s face. “You’ll find nothing but pain, you know. Doing what’s right.” 

Belle wet her dry lips, wondering if that was another threat. Still, this was something she had to do. “I’ve told you my decision. I’ll accept the consequences.” 

The woman raised an eyebrow, looking almost impressed. “Very well.” She reached down to the chain hanging about her waist, and raised one of the keys to unlock the door to Leon’s cell. 

Leon stepped swiftly between Belle and the Beast. “Don’t listen to her. Please.”

“She’s made her choice. Perhaps you should respect it.” The woman’s tone was frigid. She gestured with long, webbed fingers towards the door. “Now run on home to your mother.” 

Leon hesitated a few moments longer, before finally backing away. “I’ll come back for you, Belle.” 

“If you ever return here, I will not be so kind.” The Beast sounded like she meant it. 

“Go, Leon. I’ll be fine,” Belle said, with a confidence she most certainly did not feel.

Leon gave her a long stare. Belle saw the truth in his eyes--no matter the Beast’s warnings, he _would_ return. Finally, he broke their gaze and ran for the door, leaving Belle at the mercy of the Beast, with nothing but a rusty shotgun for company. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please tell me what you thought, I live for comments (And thanks to everyone who left kudos, I really appreciate it!)


End file.
